Paul Fowler

Co-Director Chicago School of Thai Massage, LMT, RTT (Instructor Level)

Paul Fowler was named the “Best Thai Massage Therapist in Chicago” by Chicago magazine in 2005. Featured in Time Out Chicago, Fox News, WGN morning news, and public television, he is a 2001 graduate of the Chicago School of Massage Therapy. After spending nearly a year in Thailand, studying with Pichest Boonthamme, perhaps the greatest living teacher of the art, he began teaching Thai massage in 2001. He goes back to Thailand yearly to reconnect and deepen his practice and understanding.

Before discovering Thai massage, he taught for seven years in the Chicago Public Schools. He combines his years of teaching experience, his many hours of dedicated practice, as well as his authentic training in Thailand, to communicate his extensive knowledge simply and thoughtfully.  He currently takes clients at the Board of Trade Center in downtown Chicago. 

Testimonial:

"Paul (Fowler’s) teaching is well thought-out and organized. He communicates in an easy to understand way, beginning with core concepts and techniques. He then allows his students to refine the practice and discover the subtleties.

Although there are probably many knowledgeable Thai massage teachers, the reason I have returned to Paul’s trainings (I have done 3 so far) is his smart, good-natured and compassionate approach to teaching. He expresses the seriousness of the practice while at the same time, sprinkles his teaching with humor, warmth and non-judgment. I highly recommend Paul as a teacher, a practitioner and as a human. "

Bernadette Unger
Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT)
Oxford, OH

Instructors

Paul Weitz

Co-Director Chicago School of Thai Massage, RTT (Advanced Practitioner Level) RYT-500

Paul began his Thai Massage and Yoga practice in 1996 in Santa Monica, California and has helped thousands of people find greater health and wholeness through the benefits of these healing arts. He has studied and apprenticed intensively with numerous teachers, including Saul David Raye and Pichest Boonthamme.

In 2000, Paul founded The School of Thai Yoga Therapy in Chicago. Since then, he has become a respected and well-loved teacher in the Chicago area and nationwide. Paul has been a featured presenter at the Yoga Journal Conference and the Midwest Yoga Conference.

He has donated his time and effort to outreach organizations such as Heart Touch Project, The Cancer Wellness Center and the Young Onset Parkinson's conference.

Paul holds Advanced Certification in Thai Yoga Therapy, a Masters Degree in Psychology from the University of Santa Monica, and is a 500-hour Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) with Yoga Alliance. His teaching is enriched from experience as farmer, writer, dad and a deep love for music.

Quotes from participants of the Thai Workshop Series:

"One of the best workshops I have taken. Paul is a great teacher who is able to connect with his students and give them his wisdom and knowledge through his teaching. He always has a kind word for his students, [and] is encouraging and nurturing."

"Paul is very good at explaining in detail. He leaves no stone unturned. His sincerity and nurturing is evident in his teaching. This training was a real treat."

 

Constantina Ntanos

BS, LMT, NCTMB, ISBE Certification, Anatomy Teacher, Community Service Coordinator. 

Constantina teaches the Thai for the Table class offered two times a year at CSTM. 

Tina received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She studied Massage Therapy at Cortiva Institute-Chicago School of Massage Therapy, where she worked as an instructor after graduation. She is a graduate of the Chicago School of Thai Massage’s first class. Tina has a private practice in the southwest suburbs and counts herself blessed to be doing what she loves.

Chance Kanfoush

Instructor, Movement Concepts for Bodyworkers

I am a lifelong student of a numerous movement systems and disciplines ranging from Martial arts to Healing arts and even Expressive arts. For the past 12 years I have made Thai massage my focus, my passion. Every year I return to my primary teacher in Thailand to study for months at a time, in order to deepen my understanding of this incredible art form. Tigerhealingarts.com

Michelle Tupko

Michelle Tupko has practiced yoga for 18 years and Thai Bodywork for 7 years. Her work integrates these two practices to help students and clients find a holistic, healthy approach to their bodies, minds and spirits.

Michelle is certified through both Chuck Duff at Thai Bodywork and CSTM. These two trainings, with their different focuses, have given her a complex and subtle view of the body and how to work with it physically and energetically.

In 2009, after working for 2 years as an Assistant Teacher at CSTM, Michelle decided to travel to Thailand to meet Aajan Pichest Boonthumme, the teacher of her teachers.

Michelle has spent the past two years living, practicing and studying in Thailand and India. In many ways, she now considers this part of the world her home. In Thailand, she studies primarily under Master Pichest Boonthumme, and has also taken Advanced Trainings with Jack Chaiya, Sin Chai, Homprang, Mor Am Nuey, Mor Noi and other healers in the region of Northern Thailand.

In 2010, Michelle organized the Thai Adventure Study Trip for CSTM, bringing students from the USA to engage in in-depth studies of Thai Massage, healing and culture. Michelle is currently starting a 6-month program in Ann Arbor, Michigan with Paul Fowler, to begin in the Fall of 2011.

Visiting Teachers

Christopher Ray

Guest Instructor, Therapeutic Thai

Christopher has been practicing bodywork for the past 15 years. Since discovering Thai massage 9 years ago, he has been evolving his massages by adding elements of breathwork, keralite massage, Shaolin tendon massage, and most importantly, metta (unconditional loving kindness). Christopher travels the world sharing his unique, powerful, 3-5 hour sessions assisting people in reclaiming their bodies and remembering who they are.

Noam Tyroler

Guest Instructor, Thai Acupressure for the Lower Back

Noam Tyroler is the author of "Thai Acupressure for Orthopedic Disorders", a course textbook for the Wat Po School collection of point combinations for the treatment of orthopedic conditions. Noam has been practicing Thai massage since 1989. He is head of the Department for Thai Massage & Acupressure at Reidman International College in Tel-Aviv, Israel.

Noam also teaches intensive Therapeutic Massage Courses in different countries.

To Download a sample chapter from the book and for more iabout Thai Acupressure: www.thaiacu.com

Chuck Duff

Guest Instructor, Clinical Thai Massage

Chuck Duff received his BA from the University of Chicago in Religion and the Humanities, focusing on Buddhist studies, and later studied under Chogyam Trungpa at the newly founded Naropa Institute. He founded Thai Bodywork School of Thai Massage in Evanston, IL in 2001, where he teaches traditional Thai massage and Clinical Thai Bodywork. He has spent over 10 years studying Thai massage, trigger point therapy and bodywork with teachers in the US, Canada and Thailand. He has produced 4 popular DVDs on Thai Massage, wrote an article on Clinical Thai Bodywork in Massage Magazine last year and was a featured speaker at the National Association of Myofascial Trigger Point Therapists annual convention in 2010.

David Lakein

Guest Instructor

David Lakein (Berlin/Chicago) is an interdisciplinary artist, choreographer-director, performer, educator and writer, whose work swirls around the borders between dance, theatre, cabaret, installation and performance art. He collaborates extensively with other artists, and performs-researches-teaches across the globe in diverse venues, festivals and schools. | Known for his inquisitive nature, Lakein is a well-respected teacher dedicated to his students and a rigorous learning process. Whether facilitating students in workshops and performance projects or bringing artists together in laboratories or festivals, he is committed to research as a creative act and dialogue as a transformational encounter. | Lakein studied philosophy & literature, and acting and directing in the United States, trained as a dancer and performer in Berlin and Amsterdam, and studied visual arts in Chicago; he holds a BA from Wesleyan University, a BFA from the School for New Dance Development | Amsterdam School for the Arts, and an MFA in Studio Arts from The School of The Art Institute of Chicago.
www.lakeinworkshops.wordpress.com

Lindsey Britt

Guest Instructor, AcroYoga

Lindsey's formal training started in 1999 with the Sivananda Yoga Teachers Training in New York. Her love for yoga inspired other trainings with Manju Jois/Ashtanga in 2004, J&J/AcroYoga in 2008, and Paul Grilley/Yin Yoga 2008.

After taking a Thai Yoga Therapy workshop with Paul Weitz in 2005 she fell in love with Thai Bodywork. Her Thai Bodywork studies and experience include, Chuck Duff/”Level One” and “Hands Free” in Chicago, an apprenticeship with Jill Harman Strong/Yin Thai Yoga in Fort Wayne Indiana for one year, SunShine Thai Massage Network with Itzak Harman in Thailand, Jennifer Yarrow at Frog Lotus in Western Mass. for Level I and Level II. Along with extensive play time with the AcroYoga Community.

Her degree in Sociology (coupled with a minor in Dance), and a subsequent 4.5 years of social work have taught Lindsey that community is essential in recognizing the light that connects us all. She feels limitless gratitude for her teachers for they have given her a platform to jump beyond herself.

Bob Haddad

Guest Instructor, Thai Herbal Compress Therapy

Bob Haddad, RTT is a Thai therapist who has trained in Thailand since 2000. He hold certificates from several leading Thai institutions, and has studied with master teachers Asokananda, Pichest Boonthume, Lek Chaiya and others. He travels internationally to teach workshops, and is a Council member of the Thai Healing Alliance.

Rose J. Griscom

Guest Instructor, Sen Therapy

RTT and Director of the Institute of Thai Massage-USA, based in southern New Jersey.

Rose is an experienced thai teacher, having been practicing and teaching thai massage since 1994, when she completed an intensive study program with the Thai master Chongkol Setthakorn at ITM in Chiang Mai, as well as with Arthur Lambert in the USA. Rose travels around the country training therapists at top spas and massage schools, presents workshops at national and local massage conventions, and maintains an active private practice.  For more information about Rose Griscom or ITM-USA, go to www.thai-massage.org.